That Kevin Costner Moment

My friend Karen (who wishes to be social media anonymous) writes the following:

I can't summarize the recent Oscars night any better than Mr. Talbot's headline: “The Evil of Banality.” But one moment did stand out for me as an antidote to the trauma I felt after two hours of bad jokes, bad behavior and the general devolution of any semblance of culture in this country. It came in the form of actor Kevin Costner's introduction to the Best Director award.

Mr. Costner stood up, after the audience had been stunned by the Will Smith incident, and talked about how as a child he was awed by the magic of movies. He talked about the importance of directors to the art form. And he did it in a way that was beautifully written. What he said was thoughtful, wise and inspiring (not "dramatic," as Jane Campion quipped). Watching the audience as the camera panned to them, one could see the calming effect of his confidence and the poetry in his words. There was a grown-up in the room.

I don't know if Mr. Costner has his own version of Theodore Sorensen or if he wrote it himself, but he reminded me of when I was 8-years-old, watching President Kennedy's press conferences. Kennedy exuded deep wisdom and strength -- seasoned with wit -- that even a child could feel had come from hard-won experience. His courage gave me courage, even during times that were extraordinarily frightening. He gave me hope.

We need not only politicians but artists who can do that for us now.